Plausible Deniability
by Overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: When Paris's Superheroes ask for help, their friends don't hesitate to answer the call. But once they learn what Ladybug and Chat Noir have in mind, they just might. (Luka x Kagami fic)
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: For AuroraLynne and all her pretty, pretty Lukagami art...that is already inspiring fic scenarios. :D

* * *

Luka sighed into his empty room. His fingers impatiently tracing a familiar pattern across the strings, chaining chord after chord until the progression resolved, strumming the strings with his pick.

Frowning, he opened his eyes, staring down at his placement and the fingerings. He kept wondering why the sound felt just a little...off.

But at the moment, he could hardly focus.

Setting down his guitar in its case, Luka padded his way up onto the deck.

Anarka had just taken Juleka and Rose along on their annual vacation. It was Juleka's turn to choose the destination. But he suspected that this year, Juleka was catering far more to Rose's wishes for magic and whimsy. Disneyland Paris hadn't been his first choice, but it had been several years since he had last been.

Luka was supposed to go as well, but he found himself feigning illness at the last minute.

How could he not? Not after a certain spotted-superheroine popped in through his port-side window the night before.

He blinked as she drew up to her full height, still some several inches shorter than him at least. "Luka, I need your help."

Smiling at the memory and the ghost of her lips still pressed to his cheek, Luka stared out across the docks. If he hadn't already figured it it out, the slightest hesitation in those blue eyes had given her away.

Ladybug was no less impressive than she had been on that first day he met her in person.

It hadn't been all that long ago that he had seen Ladybug swing past the boat while he was up on the deck.

She had blushed fiercely when he'd asked after Marinette, which was definitely not the reaction he expected. But it was that oddity that stuck with him. It was what let him finally start to put the pieces together.

From then on, he'd been helpless not to spot the similarities in their posture, in their mannerisms. Her cute pigtails and the strength and sweetness in her eyes were changed all too little by her superheroic form.

He had been right, that very first day. Marinette had been brave. He just hadn't known how much.

Yet the entire rest of Paris seemed content to stay none the wiser.

Well, mostly…

His fingernails dug into the railing. By the time he started to pay a bit more attention to the news reports and the blogs, it had all been a little too late. The news had been whipped into a frenzy as Ladybug and Chat Noir kept being photographed, kissing atop the highest buildings they could find.

The news - and the general public - ate it all up.

It left him feeling strangely empty. It left songs feeling more haunting and somber than he'd ever wanted.

But underneath it all, was a sweet set of melodic riffs that kept trying to break free.

Inhaling deeply, Luka picked up the spyglass from its spot beside the wheel, scanning the horizon for a brilliant flash of scarlet.

Maybe that was why Anarka was so willing to leave him be.

He still held onto the hope that his next brush with magic might still be a little more special.

* * *

Kagami handed her bags to the hulking driver and slid into the limo, sitting down beside a smiling Adrien in her usual red fencing attire.

Her friend had been as kind as ever, inviting her to a fencing retreat so prestigious, even her mother could hardly find fault in sending her along without a chaperone.

And she always enjoyed taking on Adrien as a fencing sparring partner, especially once she'd figured out his extracurricular training activities.

If he was always sneaking more training in, she was certainly not about to fall behind.

Buckling her seatbelt, she pressed her lips together. Not that she wasn't technically old enough to travel alone anyways, but in all things except fencing, her mother was extremely overprotective.

"Are you ready for a weekend of training?" Adrien asked.

Kagami nodded. "I brought all my gear with me. Will the trainers have us on a strict regimen?"

Adrien chuckled. "Probably not quite as strict as you are used to."

"Oh." She blinked, smoothing her hair into place. "Should I have brought something else? I really only have gear with me. And something comfortable enough to sleep in."

Adrien already had his cell phone out typing away. The hint of mischief in his eyes was making her a little nervous. "I think I can arrange something..."

Frowning, Kagami's eyes drifted out the window watching the buildings rush by. When they missed the turn for the train station, her frown deepened. He was definitely up to something.

Adrien tapped her arm, pointing to her cell phone and nodding meaningfully at their driver.

Her eyes narrowed, as she typed to voice her thoughts. _Where are we really going?_

His grin only widened, his normally schooled mask slipping to betray his alter ego as he typed. _Have you ever wanted to sword fight on the deck of a ship?_


	2. Chapter 2

Grabbing all the bags from his bodyguard, Adrien nodded his head toward the nearby gym. "We'll be meeting up with the travel group inside. I gave Nathalie instructions on how she can reach me, if she has any trouble by cell phone."

The Gorilla furrowed his impressive brows, but nodded, silent as ever, as he returned to the car.

Adrien tugged a still-confused Kagami along, ducking into an alley. "Go inside and change into something less conspicuous. The red will draw cameras...and we don't need the attention." He peered around the corner of the alley, making sure the Gorilla was safely out of view before he handed the small duffel bag to her. "Not yet anyway."

"Hmm?" Kagami arched a brow, shifting the straps to her shoulder and patting the protective case that housed her foil for good measure. "Where will you be?"

Adrien grinned. "I'll be changing as well."

* * *

Luka fidgeted. He even ended up straightening a bit above deck in between periodic scans of the skyline. He knew that Marinette preferred a bit of order, even here in his mother's bastion of chaos.

He wanted nothing more than for her to feel comfortable. She could never stay for long before.

It made sense, really. Marinette was so busy, and kept so focused, even on the creative works his sister had shown to him, it was amazing that she had any time to spare to protect the city.

Yet she made that time. She kept making that time.

She was amazing.

The slightest jostle of the boat against the river's normal rolling flow and the heavy thud on the deck was his only clue that he was no longer alone.

She was here, decked in red spandex, a heavy bag in hand.

Luka smiled softly, arms resting atop the rail of the upper deck. "Staying a while?"

"A little while, at least." She grinned, dropping the bag down beside the doorway to the deck below. "At least until I know if you're willing to help out with that favor. If not, I don't want to potentially put you - or your family's houseboat - at risk."

He grinned, resting his chin in his hand. "My mother would probably appreciate that."

"They're away?"

He nodded. "On vacation for a few days at least. I guess Rose has a travel agent in her family. There was a last minute cancellation, so they'll be staying in one of the park hotels for far less. Otherwise, it would be a bit crowded later."

She smiled, standing up against the rail beside him. "That's rather convenient."

"I can't complain." Luka met her gaze, feeling his cheeks warm. "I certainly can't beat the company."

"Flatterer." She grinned, rolling her eyes. Her expression shifted as she looked beside the wheel. "Do you still have that spyglass?"

He held out his other hand. There hadn't been time to replace it since she'd landed aboard.

He coughed, trying to fill the silence. "So about this favor…"

Marinette sighed heavily, lifting the viewfinder up to her eye. "It is a big one, I know. And I feel bad for even having to ask, but there really aren't many others we can turn to…"

We? Luka frowned. So it was a super-powered problem she was having.

"Ah!" She pouted, her eyes narrowing and following the direction she just marked. "There they are."

Noting her frown, Luka followed her gaze towards Chat Noir bounding across the rooftops.

The hero landed in a half crouch, riding the collapsing baton down to street level. He was carrying another girl with nearly Marinette's shade of hair and a pair of duffel bags.

She turned, still just as somber as she handed the spyglass back to him. "Any trouble?"

Chat winked, as he hefted his own bags aboard. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

Marinette's lip tucked back into place once her super-powered partner stepped into place by her side. Her partner practically purred. "Lovely as always to see you, my Lady."

Now, it was Luka that was rolling his eyes.

The girl who had been in Chat Noir's arms shifted uncomfortably, her eyes scanning the deck. "Was this where you wanted us to train?"

Ladybug chuckled. "What exactly did you tell her, Chaton?"

"Not too much just yet," He grinned, as she bumped her shoulder into his. "Too many ears. Too many eyes. I figured it was best to have this conversation with everyone present."

Ladybug scanning for photographers. "And away from any other prying eyes."

* * *

When they were all safely below deck, Luka sat down on the couch. The girl Chat Noir had brought sat primly against the well worn cushions. She looked entirely out of place.

But Ladybug was pacing. He had watched more than enough footage now to know that was unusual for her. At least when she was in the suit. No, this was Marinette's anxiousness shining through.

And it was tugging at his heartstrings.

He looked longingly over at his guitar, wishing he could use it to help calm down the growing tension in the room.

Ladybug inhaled and opened her eyes, facing the couch head on. "As we've each told you, we need a favor from you both."

"Of course." Luka murmured.

Even with her hands balled into fists at her hips, Ladybug smiled. "You might want to hear it first, Luka."

Chat Noir dove right in, reckless as ever, even as he kept to his place, leaning against the wall. "We need your help to draw Hawkmoth off our scent."

"We think we know who he is." Ladybug sighed, pulling one clawed hand into hers, hesitating until he clearly squeezed her hand back. Until she met his eyes, and got shaky nod of approval. "But in getting that close, we think he is starting to put together who we are beneath the masks."

"Which means we need to throw him off our scent entirely." Chat finished, his voice a bit more gravelly than Luka ever recalled in the news broadcasts.

"And that brings us to why we're all here."

The girl beside him on the couch tilted her head, curious. Her posture straightened to strictest attention.

Ladybug - Marinette - didn't seem to notice.

"You each know the secrets you have kept for us. And because of it, we know we can trust you, because you've both proven it."

Chat Noir piped up, far more serious than Luka had ever seen him. "To do this, there are secrets we need to show you that have never been in the news. They can't ever be there. It would be dangerous for the reporter...and for you as well if Hawkmoth could track it back to you."

Luka and Kagami paled, looking at one another.

Kagami's eyes broke away first, fearlessly staring back at the black cat. "What exactly do you need us to do?"

"If you agree?" Ladybug answered. "Step into our shoes."

"We need Hawkmoth to see us. And to see an active Ladybug and Chat Noir, when there can be no doubt it is the exact same time."

"Probably even more than once." She nodded. "But most of all, we need to know that these powers will be given back to us as soon as the mission is completed."

"Huh…" Luka murmured, blushing a little as Ladybug's gaze turned to him. "How would that even work? I mean, we're not all that strong."

Kagami smirked. "Speak for yourself."

Chat grinned at that. "Neither are we...not without a little help anyways."

"We'll explain about the powers, if you are sure you will help, Kagami." Ladybug grimaced. "Otherwise it just puts you in greater risk for knowing."

"But there is more than just powers, of course." Chat's eyes locked with Ladybug's. "You see, the brilliance of her plan is that we need you to really mimic us."

"And there are few people we know who have actually been more observant." Ladybug smiled, meeting Kagami's gaze and then his own. "And fewer still who could pull off a passing resemblance while in the costume itself."

Luka was a bit floored. He was definitely more of a lover than a fighter. This seemed so far out of his wheelhouse.

And yet, she was trusting him with something this big.

"What we need is that help...to figure out what it is that we do that you would need to mimic."

"Right down to the battle technique, Or at least, as much as we can manage." Chat clearly directed these words to the other girl, who simply nodded.

Kagami, was it? A gleam of sharp intelligence filled her eyes as she started to smile.

A discordant pair of chimes echoed through the cabin.

Luka stood up. "What was that?"

Ladybug grinned. "Our cue to leave...for now."

Chat Noir darkened the exit door, baton in hand. "Just...promise us you'll think about it."

Ladybug was at his heels. "We'll be back as soon as we can."

Leaving the pair of them sitting in stunned silence.

* * *

Author's Notes:

I shall help build this ship with these two hands.

And this very tired brain. :P


End file.
